SEEKJOY

This morning I visited a place of despair, a home for the lost, a destination that is usually marked by failure and disappointment.  That's right, I went to the Lost and Found bin at Chip's school, seeking gloves.  Of the four partially and fully missing pairs, I came away with two reunited sets.  In baseball terms, I was batting .500, which on the harball field of dreams or the realm of children's clothing-gone-missing is a good result.  Still, I had been hoping to find all of them.  Gloves cost money, after all.  And, there was the principle of the thing.  Besides, isn't it always nice to find what we're seeking?

Of course, that begs the question: what are we seeking?  And why?  Advent is a great time to contemplate these questions.  We can seek stuff, we can seek security, we can seek power or leverage, we can seek to do someone down by gossiping.  Or, we can seek the things of the Kingdom: grace, forgiveness, light, love.  And joy.

I was reminded of the latter as I returned to my car.  The sedan next to my wagon was sporting a license plate that urged one and all to SEEKJOY.

Joy is one way of describing the one who was and will be born in a manger on Christmas Eve.  Joy can be found in many places, some of them surprising.  Like even that Lost and Found bin.  Because if I'm honest, I didn't have much hope of find any gloves.  So batting .500 is not just good.  It's a cause for joy, if only I will let it be.

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